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Friday, December 19, 2014

A Mother Lion Roar of Grief

This week tragedy and grief rocked our community. A wonderful young girl died, the second child this family has been forced to grieve. Our hearts break for them. In the midst of our sorrow we hear of more tragedies on the other side of the world, as children were murdered in Pakistan. It seems lately the news and our communities are too full of mothers and fathers grieving for their children.

There are very few words which don't seem empty and hollow at times such as these. There has been much talk of prayer, prayers for the grieving, prayers for our children. The word "prayer" does not quite capture what these tragedies draw up from our very souls. Rather, it seems we are drawn toward mother lion roars reaching out to God and demanding God show us a place to stand so we might move the world toward a place where our children are safe and their hearts and their bodies need never be broken. We are drawn toward groaning out our earth shaking grief which will not be pacified but will undergird our determination to support our brothers and sisters in their time of sorrow, in their fight for justice and healing. Though well intentioned the word "prayer" seems a whisper where a rallying bellow is needed so we might change what can be changed and commit our long lasting support for those who are grieving what cannot be changed.

I am grateful there are many for whom this is what "prayer" means. God show us a place to stand.